The Four Worlds Alliance Gameroom
by Omoni
Summary: A collection of drabbles and one-shots, in no particular order, about our favourite Shadow Raiders characters.
1. Absolution

_**Writer's Note:**__ This one is definitely a drabble in name. It was a request for urania_calliope, under the prompt "Absolution". This one was a TOUGH one, so I had to make it short, but I'd say that, over all, it turned out how I wanted it to. Enjoy!_

**Absolution**

It's hard to see beyond black and white. Hard to see beyond what you've thought is the way of things.

But when it was learned, near the end of the war, that the Beast Planet itself wasn't so much a ruthless killer, but more akin to a hungry predator, it threw everything into grey.

Could you fault a man for killing a fish to feed his starving family? Could you punish a child for stealing some lichen in order to stop the pain in its belly?

Could you be angry at a creature for wanting to stave off the hunger?

Granted, the Beast's offspring weren't exactly poster-children for benevolence, but it made everyone reconsider their approach on how to face the Beast Planet as a whole.

It had always been agreed upon that the Beast Planet was pure evil. They all agreed that they would pull out the stops to destroy it if it meant ridding the universe of a horrendous killer.

But what if it was just _hungry_?

What if it was cursed with _insatiability_?

It was a dilemma. How could they punish a predator for doing what nature intended? How could they destroy something for merely being what it _was_?

For a while, there was no solution. For a while, they were forced to pause in their actions, to try and figure out if they should change their plans to disabling rather than destroying.

There was no way around it, really. They had to destroy it. They had to find some way to be rid of it.

But it wasn't without a sense of guilt, a sense of loss. A sense of shame, really, that what they were doing was, while necessary to survive, somewhat hypocritical.


	2. Testing the Limits

_**Writer's Note:**__ This one is for Morgeil, who gave me the prompt of "Patience". I had to think about when I wanted it to take place, and decided that after the series would be a good idea. Admittedly, since it's been many years since I've poked my SR muse awake, it's not the best it could be, and will probably, with time, go through some edits, but for now, here it is! And yes, it's vague on purpose. Use your imagination. Enjoy!_

**Testing the Limits**

"_No_."

It was a word that, Graveheart suspected cynically, Jade loved to hear herself say. It couldn't have just been him; the way she said it was often evidence enough. Her voice was firm, her mouth was set, and her eyes flashed with something like challenge. And if Graveheart knew anything, it was that Jade loved a challenge.

"Why," Graveheart answered flatly, not even bother to add emphasis on anything. He crossed his arms over his chest and met her gaze. Something sparked in her eyes, and he knew that instantly she was ready for a fight.

"Because I _said_ so," Jade replied, leaning back in the throne and crossing her legs slowly. "And what I say is _law_."

If anyone had heard that, there would have been some sort of reaction to it, but Graveheart suspected that she only said it, not only because she knew it would irk him, but also because they were alone in the throne room. She knew just as well as he did that her word _wasn't _law, per se. It took an agreement amongst the council in order to make something a law.

But, deep down, Graveheart also suspected that perhaps she wasn't speaking as a Queen.

"Jade, come on," he said now, unable to keep his exhaustion from his voice. "You know you're being stubborn about this. You know it makes sense in the long run; why are you stonewalling the inevitable?"

Jade propped her chin on her hand, her eyes narrow. "I'm sorry, was there some sort of change in the way things work in the last two years that I've been on the throne?" Her voice was clipped with her anger, and inwardly he winced. "There's no mandate that states that this is something that _has _to be done."

Suddenly, Graveheart wished he could just bash his head on the marble floor beneath his feet, just to end the conversation. He should have known better than to assume that she would change her mind, let alone even listen to him. She had been set in her decision for two years now, just like she said.

But…it was _ridiculous._

"What about common sense?" Graveheart suddenly snapped. Jade's eyes narrowed even more, almost in warning, but he ignored it. "How about using your mind for once, instead of being stubborn just because you can?"

For a moment, Jade said nothing. Them slowly, she got to her feet and stared him down. Graveheart met her gaze, gritting his teeth a little. He knew what was coming, and he braced for it.

Suddenly, her fist slammed down onto one of the armrests of the throne, proving him right. She hit it so hard, some of it crumbled. It was an eerie reminder of her predecessor. "You are, without a doubt, a jackass!" she snarled. "You have no sense of logic, or propriety! _You're_ the one without common sense!"

"_I'm_ the one…?" Graveheart echoed. "I've been incredibly accommodating, waiting without much protest, and the one time I so much as bother to bring it up again, you have the gall to call me a jackass?!"

"Yes!" she snapped back.

Graveheart barked out a dry laugh, one completely lacking in humour. Jade's eyes flared at the sound. "You're _laughing_ at me?" she growled.

"Yes," Graveheart replied honestly. "I'm laughing at the hypocrisy."

Ah, that did it. This time _both_ fists slammed onto both armrests. _"Get out!" _Jade shouted, actually pointing towards the door.

Graveheart said nothing. He just raised an eyebrow at her. Jade gritted her teeth and glared at him. "You know something, Graveheart? I've had enough stress in the past two years. I don't need you to constantly get on my nerves and ask me questions that don't even _matter_!"

Something bit deep to his core. "'Questions that don't even matter'?" he echoed, his voice small.

"In the grand scope of things, do you honestly think that something like_ that_ is on the top of my list?!" She shouted. "I have to look after an entire planet, one that is still suffering the loss of thousands upon thousands of people! I have to try and support another planet, as well, one that is collectively homeless and spread out over three of my moons! Add that to trying to ease the finances, set the laws, and keep the piece between the rest of the system…_YES, I would say it DOESN'T MATTER_!"

Graveheart winced outwardly this time. By this time, she was shouting so loud that he had no doubt the guards on the other side of the door could hear her.

"Let's get to the heart of it, then," Graveheart said, his voice hollow. "Do you care about me at all?"

Jade blinked, obviously taken aback. "What kind of asinine question is that, Graveheart?" she demanded.

"Just answer it," he muttered, his voice hard.

"Yes, of course I do, more than care, you idiot," she seethed.

He wanted to smile at the last part, but found that he wasn't able to. "So if you care about me, why won't you even consider what I am asking seriously?"

Jade opened her mouth, then closed it, at a sudden loss for words. It was rare, he knew, to be able to strike her dumb. But he also knew that when he did, it was a serious situation in deed.

"Nothing has to change," he rushed on, taking advantage of it. "You know that, right? You'll still be you, and I'll still be me."

"If nothing has to change, then why change it?" she answered, her voice poisonous.

Graveheart suddenly wanted to introduce the floor to his forehead again. "You know something?" he said suddenly, his patience gone. "Just forget about it. I don't know what I was thinking." He turned around, away from her, and started towards the end of the throne room. All he could feel was his anger, his frustration, and all he wanted was to be as far away from its source as possible.

Behind him, he heard quick footfalls, and before he could even gather his wits, he felt a rough hand clamp down on his shoulder and pull him roughly back. He jerked, trying to pull away from her grasp, but she dug her fingers in, and he couldn't pull free. He reached up to prise her fingers off, but she just clamped her other hand down on his other shoulder and dragged him closer.

"Jade, listen…" he started, but was interrupted, understandably, when she dragged him forward and kissed him, hard, taking both words and breath away from him. For a moment, he forgot about pretty much everything else, and got lost in her kiss. She had always had that affect on him.

It was only when she pulled away that he remembered he was mad at her, still. He opened his mouth, but she reached up and covered it with one hand. "No, shut up," she snapped. "You have got to understand something, Graveheart. This is not something personal, nor is it something that has to do with you and who you are to me. There is just…" and here, for a moment, she looked very young, and very tired, all at once. "There is just so much, and so little time in which to get it done."

"I know that," he said softly. "You think that I don't know that?"

Her eyes shone a little in amusement, but it never reached her lips. "Can you just…be patient? Just for a little longer?"

"I'm not going anywhere, if that's what you mean," Graveheart answered drily.

"Honestly, I thought everything would be sorted out by now," Jade admitted. "But…it really isn't."

"No…" he agreed. "It really isn't."

Jade sighed and let go of his shoulders. Gingerly, he reached up and rubbed some feeling back into them. She looked away for a moment, then sighed, deeply. She looked back over at him, her mouth open to speak, but he shook his head, smiling faintly, and she smiled back, looking relieved.

"So…" Graveheart leaned in a little, smiling wider. "Should I ask again in a week or so?"

Jade groaned and punched him, hard, in the stomach. He wheezed, but choked out a laugh, and it was enough.


	3. Purpose and Consequence

_**Writer's Note**__: Another fic for Morgeil, under the prompt, "Reason". This one takes place in series, shortly after "Girl's Night Out". Thanks to Morgeil for not just the prompt, but the revision advice. You have no idea how much it means to me. _

**WARNING: Contains spoilers for "Girl's Night Out".**

**Purpose and Consequence**

"Let me ask you something."

It was awkward, but Jade really felt that she needed to know someone else's opinion. The situation she was in, one that made her feel like she was being tugged from both sides, gnawed at her gut more than hunger ever could.

Possibly the best way to describe Jade's relationship with Tekla was "shaky". There was something, deep down, that bothered Jade about the surviving princess, something that grated on her even deeper than Femur ever could. It wasn't something she could put into words, but it was there all the same.

Yet, even knowing that, Jade had to admit that, for all of her faults, Tekla was still, despite everything, genuine, impartial, and above all, honest. If anyone could answer from the heart, it was Tekla.

At the sound of her voice, Tekla swivelled the chair around and dragged her eyes away from the myriad of computer screens. Jade snuck a glance at the monitors, but found that a lot of what was displayed went over her head. Most of it was schematics and blueprints of what, she would hazard to guess, were the World Engines, but she wasn't too sure.

Not surprisingly, Tekla looked bemused. Jade hardly said more than five words to her at a time, if that, so inviting a conversation was bound to throw her into confusion.

"Sure," Tekla said slowly. "You can ask me anything you want."

Jade sighed, not moving from the doorway. They had been staying in the Ice Palace for weeks now, so long that Jade was starting to see it as a second home of sorts. That was why it had been so easy to find Tekla; she was always glued to the control room's chair, staring at the screens with such attention that Jade suspected they spoke a language only Tekla could understand.

But just because she was easy to _find_ didn't mean she was easy to _talk to._

Jade leaned in the doorway, looking down at her feet. She crossed her arms over her chest._ Just get it over with_, she thought to herself.

"If your loyalty was being tested, hypothetically," she added hastily, "what would you do?"

Tekla leaned back, obviously not expecting something like that. She tilted her head to one side. "I suppose it depends on the circumstances," she admitted finally, folding her hands together and holding them in her lap.

Jade fought the urge to sigh again. "Say you're loyal to two different people, people that you respect with the very marrow of your bones. Uh," she realised her faux-pas too late, but Tekla merely nodded, so she went on. "The first person is someone you have known all of your life, someone you would lie down dead for, but in order to help that person, you had to be loyal to someone else, which conflicts with being loyal to the first person…"

Tekla blinked slowly, looking politely interested but so obviously lost. Jade rubbed her forehead and tried again. "Say that you are really close to someone, and you would basically do anything for…_them_…but in order to do so, you had to in turn be loyal to someone else, which puts the first loyalty at risk. Get what I mean?"

Tekla paused, then nodded. "I believe so."

Jade finally looked up, feeling her heart racing. "What would you do?" she wondered, unable to strip the worry from her voice.

With careful moves, Tekla leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and holding up her chin her hands. "Can you be loyal to the second person without betraying the first?"

Jade felt herself pale. "I don't think so, no," she admitted.

"Then, in the long run, which outcome will help more people?"

Jade stared. It was exactly the same outcome that she had fallen on, and the fact that Tekla, someone whom she shared very little in common, came to the same conclusion, shook her a little.

"There is always a good reason for action, Jade," Tekla said, her face kind. "If those actions are done with the best interest at heart, then certainly they can be forgiven by the person who ends up betrayed."

"But, aren't you a princess?" Jade wondered. "Shouldn't you always be loyal to the people, no matter what? Doesn't that affect your opinion?"

Tekla smiled, but it was a sad smile. "You've never really asked me about my life before now, Jade," she said. "So I can easily assume that you have no real understanding of my place as princess on my home world." When Jade said nothing, she continued. "I wasn't really put into the flux of the population," she admitted. "I was kept protected - sheltered, you could say. It was only when the Beast showed up that I actually started to learn anything beyond daily routine." Her smile grew sadder, but she didn't go on.

Jade had no idea what she should say. A small part of her was actually _irritated_; she had come to Tekla in order to get some advice, and in turn ended up listening to the other woman's sob story. But the bigger part, the one that was still horribly confused and conflicted, found that, perhaps, at one time, Tekla knew exactly what she was talking about, because it had happened to her.

"Leaving Tek was the biggest breach of loyalty to my father," Tekla said suddenly. "I did it because I wanted to help other people instead of dying at his side. It didn't mean I loved him any less, but it also meant that, when it came to it, my loyalty lay with helping people in need, not with staying at his side." She closed her eyes, the smile dying. "It was the most difficult decision I have ever made. And yet, even though it's agony, I do not regret it."

Jade looked away, feeling her stomach clench up and her heart suddenly ache. "I…see," she said, her voice tiny, weighed heavily with the weight of what she would have to do.

"So you see," Tekla went on, her voice wavering a little. "I understand the question, and hope that you, yourself, never have to face such a horrible test."

Jade jerked a little, looking up so fast that her neck cracked. She held up her hands and shook her head. "No, of course not!" she said hastily, her voice sounding fake, even to her ears. "It was just a question, you understand, right?"

Tekla nodded slowly, but didn't say a word. It almost felt as if, somehow, Jade was being judged.

"Anyway," she pressed on, stammering a little. "You answered my question. Thank you." Without waiting for another word, she turned and practically bolted from the room.

When she was far enough from the control room, Jade stopped, leaned against the nearest wall, and covered her face with her hands. It was the closest she had come to weeping without control in many, many years.

Unconsciously, one hand went to the crystal around her neck and squeezed. She knew what she had to do.


	4. Sum of the Whole

_**Writer's Note:**__ Thanks to Morgeil, who threw this plotbunny in my direction and commanded it to bite me. I love it when people do that =D_

Zuma had always been one of the many.

From the very first moment that she had opened her eyes, she was never alone, never without company. Her thoughts, her feelings, her experiences, they all mingled and wove themselves alongside hundreds of countless other threads that completed the tapestry.

When her friends spoke of loneliness, she could only imagine what it was like to be alone in your mind, to not think with countless others. When they demanded to be "left alone" or said they needed time "by themselves", more often than not the words lost meaning for her, because she just had no idea what it meant to be _one,_ rather than _many._

Once she was asked by Zera, "Doesn't it get overwhelming, hearing all of those thoughts, not having a mind of your own?"

To which she answered, _"It would be more overwhelming to lose those thoughts."_

Which seemed to puzzle the princess, but there was really no other way to word it. For them, as much as she loved them, it was hard for them to understand her as she was. Just as for her, it was hard to understand their singularity.

Sometimes, though, Zuma did get an inkling of what it was like. The mind, like the body, was limited, and when she was forced to distance herself from her Kindred, she felt a deep pain, a sense of loss, and, quite puzzling, a vague understanding of the "loneliness" that seemed to haunt her friends and comrades.

Her mind felt emptier, cold, like a yawning hole of nothingness. All that was left inside were her thoughts, which seemed to fall into a vacuum, never to be heard, never to be acknowledged.

Often, when she felt desperate, she often tried to connect with her friends. Only Zera seemed to be able to connect this way with skill and achievement, but Cryos, and Graveheart to a smaller degree, could sense her presence as well. It was Zera who, in Zuma's darkest hours of emptiness, kept her mind from collapsing into that emptiness. It was Zera who chattered endlessly in her mind, who shared her thoughts and hopes and dreams with her, while she in turn listened to Zuma's own slower thoughts and desires.

Zera's mind was all blues and whites, tinged with dark greys when her moods were sour. Sometimes, if Zuma looked hard, she could even catch a few glimpses of orange or red, but they flickered in and out so quickly that she was never sure.

"_Before you came, I never thought I could do this," _Zera admitted in one of their first exchanges._ "I just sort of...tried it. And now it's like I can't turn it off!"_

"_It's how it is for us as well, in a way." _Zuma replied, her eyes smiling._ "Only we're born with it, so it can never be turned off."_

"_Is that why you're so lonely without your people?"_

"_Yes, because it feels like it's been turned off forever."_

Zera had met her eyes with such a serious expression on her face that Zuma, deep within her heart, felt that this smaller, younger, alien singular creature, actually understood what she was trying to say.

"_So why did you choose me to make the connection to?" _This was asked much later, maybe a month after the Beast Planet vanished. _"If anything, it should have been Graveheart."_

Zuma chuckled. _"That day, on our world, you were the only one who saw us. You were the only one who had, outside of ourselves even spoken to us. We saw your heart; it was the same as ours."_

Zera went quiet, and slowly, a hand went to her chest. She was quiet after that, for a long time.


	5. Tantalising

For Jade, Sternum was..._interesting._

There was no denying his strength, something she knew first-hand. There was also no denying his charisma, his ability to draw men and women into his fold by providing respect, care, and kindness, as well as a fierce and bold leadership.

It was the kind of leadership Jade saw in herself, only finely honed into sharpness, made to greatness with little to no effort on his part.

Certainly, to a degree, it was attractive. Sternum's boldness, his confidence in the face of animosity, his ability to get beyond a past riddled with brutality and torture, and his sense of deep fondness for the people within his command...these were all things that anyone, not just a woman of Jade's character, could find attractive enough to follow with all of their heart.

But Jade had noticed too late just how keen Sternum was on not only having her at his side, but leading her astray. Not only in the battlefield, but in other ways as well. Pushing her search for Cryos and Graveheart to the back burner to focus their forces on breaking down Julia's stronghold was a good reason, but it was, she had to admit, a rather cunning distraction, as well.

If she had been a weaker woman, she, too, would have succumbed to that charm. But some stubbornness from her youth, the same streak that kept her at Graveheart's side even through the stupidest of missions, kept her on the right path.

She hadn't known how important that had been until her eyes fell on him after so long. It was like a punch to the chest, because even though she had thought she had accepted that he was dead, she hadn't. And even as she ran, even as her fingers found a hold on him, even as her lips met his, she knew how important it was that she had kept strong and had managed to deflect Sternum's consistent attempts to have her betray Graveheart.

And with that first taste of his kiss, she knew it was the right move, and that there was no going back, if she was even there to begin with.


	6. Daughter

It had been their last fight, their last real fight.

"It's _my _duty as well!" Tekla had shouted, her voice strained. "It's my duty to stay at your side, to prove that we care for our people, to prove that we are not cowards and do not run!"

But slowly, he shook his head. His voice was soft with his grief. He wasn't a man of words, but when he did speak, they resonated. "No," he answered. "Your duty is to save others. Your duty is to _keep living._"

Back then, living seemed far too hard, especially without her father.


	7. Determination

Jade didn't start off as the greatest shot in her graduating class of Quarriors, but she certainly managed to graduate that way. Everyone who had known her back then always had some kind of speculation as to how it came to be (usually involving violence or threats towards those with lower scores).

Jade, and Graveheart beside her, knew the truth: Jade was the best because she _worked_ at it. It was just her way of living. If she hadn't put any amount of blood, sweat or tears into something, then she had never been serious about it to begin with.


	8. Mother

_**Notes: **I took alot of liberty with this one. The brief glimpses we get into the culture of Planet Fire has a strict Middle-Eastern feel. Any women we see are either cowled or little girls. I started thinking about royalty, and what place a woman would have in Planet Fire politics and monarchy, and realised there probably wasn't one. I then wondered if Pyrus had any kind of relationship with his mother, or if he even knew her. Thus, this little drabble._

Pyrus had never really cared about mothers before. He had been raised to accept that their place was in the background, especially when it came to crown princes. Women themselves weren t very important, even. It wasn t something he ever questioned before.

But then he met Zera, who was female, and who never stayed in the background. He got to know her, and started to learn just how important mothers were. To Zera, her mother was a hero, someone who never gave up, even at the end.

Pyrus wondered what his mother was like. He realised he really wanted to know.


	9. Recruit

**Warnings: Slight spoilers for "Against All Odds"**

If Cryos were to be honest with himself, he had to admit that he wasn t as surprised as he appeared when learning that his only daughter wanted to be a warrior. There were hints of such a desire, especially in one instance when he found her trying to smuggle herself into his Icemite.

There was also the very obvious matter that she was her mother's daughter. Cryos wasn t the type to look forward to the trials of war, but his wife was another matter. Zera showed that kind of passion every day.

It was bittersweet, and it was also terrifying.


	10. Brothers

**Warning: Contains spoilers for the Prison Planet story-arc.**

When Femur hatched, Sternum regretted not sitting on his egg when it was first laid.

His new brother was small, misshapen, and weird. His voice was an annoying squall, and could reach incredible volumes.

Sternum hated him. When he was told he was going to be a big brother, he had hoped for a smaller version of himself, someone quiet and cunning, someone who liked to hide in corners and just _watch_, waiting for the right time to do anything.

But Femur wasn't like that at all. He was loud, had no sense of timing, and demanded things instead of asking nicely for them. He was bratty, obnoxious, and, as he grew older, really crass and disgusting: Sternum could count up to the twenties how many times his younger brother spoke about his sexual conquests (which mystified him; who would _sleep_ with Femur? Certainly the entire female population wasn't blind as well as deaf?).

But as they grew older, Sternum noticed something in his brother that he had never seen before: a certain kind of charisma, a charm, that was obviously innate but that was also honed into a finely-edged weapon. Despite his looks, his flaws, Femur was still able to draw people to him.

Which was an endless source of frustration for Sternum, who was desperate for comrades at his side, especially when he achieved his life-long ambition of stealing the throne. What Sternum lacked, Femur had in spades.

Still, Sternum was able to grab the throne without much help. And he was a good ruler, despite the circumstances, despite sometimes being a little too ruthless or cunning. He had thought he was making everyone happy.

What he had never counted on was that Femur, who had the charisma but not much else, also harbored that same lifelong dream. And when it came to the throne, blood was as thin as air.


	11. Bet Me

_Occurs shortly before the Prison Planet storyarc. Written JUST FOR MORGEIL =D  
_

* * *

It was a pretty decent set-up, both Pyrus and Zera agreed; there was usually enough downtime for it to work, and if and when it _did_ work, it would be subtle enough to last until the next incident down the line.

The actual conversation came up by chance, which led to the eventual plotting.

Zera was bored, and haunting the hallways of the Palace without really any thoughts. It was a slow day, one that was usually spent with everyone wandering around looking bored. Her father and Graveheart insisted that these times spent flying through space weren't aimless, and that they _were_ making use of it and trying to locate a compatible sun, but as Zera walked through empty and silent hallways, she was starting to doubt that.

It was then that she bumped into Pyrus, whose expression could only be construed as _suspicious_.

"Pyrus," she said, her voice carefully blank. "Why are you here and not on one of the Battle Moons?"

He jumped, turned to her, and instantly looked both guilty and excited. "Uh, I was trying to…find out something."

"Find out what?" she demanded, hands on her hips. Pyrus puffed out his cheeks, about to retort that it really was none of her business, except that…well, she _could_ prove to be useful…

In the end, they talked about it. Zera was, at first, mortified by it, but only for a split second when she realised that she had suspected it all along, especially when Femur let a choice comment drop during a meeting which resulted in a higher amount of violence than usual from Jade.

Besides, Zera was never one to say no to a great game.

* * *

The first time came up right after a council meeting. It had been a little tense, especially since it was clear that without a stationary sun, the planets were at risk of eventually dying. Zuma had stressed that despite both the integrity shields and gravity matrixes, without a proper sun, the lifecycles on each planet were doomed. To which Mantel had, from his situated screen, snorted that his planet was superior and exempt from such a fate.

To which Femur had said, echoing everyone else's thoughts, "It's hard to be superior if your planet has rotted into dust, don't you think?"

Which had ended the meeting rather awkwardly indeed.

From across the table, Zera's eyes slid to Pyrus's, and she saw that his gaze was on hers already. There was a faint ghost of a smile on his lips, and she had to respond to it; now would be a perfect time to set their little game into motion.

Jade was sitting stiffly in her seat, scowling at the now-dark screen, when Zera got up and walked over to her side. With a very casual tone of voice, she said, "That was kind of…intense, don't you think?"

The older woman snorted, her eyes rolling. "Sometimes I wonder if you have your father's gift of understatement," was her reply.

Pyrus's eyebrows went up, smirking. Zera pretended to ignore it.

"Well," Zera shifted a little, somewhat intimidated by what she was even attempting to do. "I'm sure we would all feel better if we relaxed a bit before continuing this conversation."

Jade looked up at her finally, her face a mix of annoyance and confusion. "Just what are you going on about?"

"I mean," Zera looked away, unable to stop her hands from clasping in front of her in some shyness. "A way to relax, you know…like you always do."

Jade cupped her chin in her hand, her eyes sliding away. "Hm…not a bad idea, actually."

Pyrus's mouth went open, close to jumping to his feet. Zera shot him a triumphant look.

Jade's eyes were back on hers. "You. Training grounds. One hour. Don't be late." And on that note she was up on her feet and out of the room in a flash.

Zera swore under her breath. Pyrus's laughter grated her nerves.

* * *

With Zera's failure, Pyrus was determined to prove that he would be able to do it better.

His chance came during a routine security checkup shortly after the doomed meeting. He made sure that Zera was able to attend – despite logic stating that it actually wasn't _necessary_ for her to be there – before he started.

Zera was pretending to review some of the schematics for the AI security repairs when Pyrus said, as casually as can be, "Late nights can be lonely, don't you think?"

Her hands almost typed in a code that would blow the AI up, that was how out of the blue it was.

Graveheart's eyes were narrowed and fixed on the screens before him as row after row of text came up, explaining how many people had come and gone in the Palace and the times of day these visits occurred. "Mm, what?" he said, his voice distracted.

Pyrus looked at his nails, almost forcing Zera to groan. "I mean, if you're here too late, you could end up being lonely. It helps to have company."

Graveheart nodded, his fingers flying over the control pad, highlighting a specific date and reading the logs for it. "It can be. That's why most of us stay here – it acts as neutral ground, even though it technically isn't neutral."

Zera's eyes caught Pyrus's and she typed the words, _Your subtlety fails_ onto the screen in front of her, earning her a scowl. "What I _mean_ is," he tried again, "that when you come home from a long day, isn't it lonely to find the room empty?"

Graveheart shrugged, not pausing in his actions. "I'm usually too tired to notice."

Zera coughed, masking her laughs, and Pyrus had to sit down to keep from kicking something.

* * *

Zera tried again when both Jade and Graveheart had come to visit Cryos in order to plan for a possible lichen shortage (once again). Since it involved both Planets Fire and Bone as well, Pyrus and Femur both had to attend. Mantel failed to "show up", so Jade sat in as a sort of representative. It wasn't seen as formal, anyway.

During a brief break (Femur had tried to hit on Jade for some reason and Jade had, as a result, _hit_ him), Zera shot a short look at Pyrus to get his attention before joining Jade at her side.

"So," she said calmly. "Kind of feeling frustrated, huh?"

Jade rubbed her forehead, her teeth gritted. "That damned toad and his lecherous spouting will be the death of me."

Zera pretended to think. "You know, you seem really bothered by it. Would it be different if someone else used those words towards you?"

Jade scowled. "Zera, there is no way that the phrase 'let's preserve lichen by finding other things to eat' accompanied by suggestive hand gestures and hip thrusting would be flattering from _anyone_."

Zera smirked. "Not even someone you've known forever? Someone you probably _would_ spend time like that with?"

She heard Pyrus choking on something, but ignored it.

Jade's gaze slid up to hers, her eyes narrowed even more. "Zera," she said slowly, her voice calm, now. "Is this the season that you and your people start feel the…sort of _intimate pinch_?"

Zera's eyes widened, the blood rushing to her face in mortification. Clearly her words had backfired. "It most certainly is _not_!" she snapped, her bet with Pyrus forgotten. "We don't even have _specific seasons_, and this is certainly not something I am going to discuss with _you!_"

Jade rolled her eyes and threw her hands up. "You were the one that started the conversation!"

"And I'm finishing it!" Zera puffed out her cheeks and turned on her heel, going back to sit down as far away from Pyrus as possible, who was laughing so hard he was close to tears.

* * *

Pyrus ended up winning the bet, much to Zera's everlasting and bitter chagrin. But he cheated, and she made it clear that because he cheated, she owed him _nothing_.

It came up abruptly, calmly (she would give him that), and right to the point, and while it answered the question without anything being _said, it was still cheating!_

On the way out to the loading bay, when everyone was getting ready to head back to their homes, Pyrus sidled up between Jade and Graveheart and asked, "So, you two are totally doing it, right?"

Both Jade and Graveheart froze in mid-step, their eyes meeting over Pyrus's flame. Slowly, Jade said, "If by 'it', you mean 'going back to Rock', then yes."

Pyrus rolled his eyes. "No, don't be dense," he snapped, his tone flippant. Zera stood in the doorway, her mouth open in shock. "I mean you guys are shagging. Sexing. Doing the naked dance. You know, making babies without the babies."

The silence became so deafening that if it were a colour, it would be bright white. Zera stared, the speech taken from her own mouth.

Pyrus, however, didn't have this problem. He crossed his arms and, with a smirk, nodded knowingly. "Yeah, I thought so. I just wanted to make sure. See you in a few days."

He walked back over to Zera with an impish grin on his face. She scowled at him, both not noticing that the other couple hadn't moved an inch. _"That doesn't count,"_ she snarled.

"Probably not," he agreed, nudging her shoulder with his. "But it was damned hilarious."


	12. Bad Influence

_Writer's Note: This was a prompt from Urania Calliope, who wanted something crackish with Femur and Voxx.  
_

* * *

"Aw, come on," Femur slapped his hand down on the table in front of him, his face twisted into a scowl. "You're a super computer! You should be able to do this!"

Voxx floated before him. "The request is too vague to complete. Please specify."

Femur looked around him, making sure he was alone, before deciding to specify. "I just want to know if, before Tekla left home, she managed to download...a few movies."

There was a pause, followed by the sound of chirping. Then Voxx replied, "Search results include over thirty thousand movies of projective, video, and holographic variety."

Femur scowled. "You're making fun of me now, aren't you?"

Another pause. "Please specify the exact request," Voxx replied.

"_Fine_," Femur snarled, losing his patience. "I want porn. Tek porn. Do you have it? Did Tekla bring any? And if so, can you patch it up on the main computer?"

Yet another pause, much longer this time. Just when Femur was convinced he broke it, Voxx suddenly said, "System is showing over a thousand matches in viewable files. Would you like to continue?"

Femur froze, his eyes going huge and his grin huger. he rubbed his hands together. "Yes, let's," he agreed with a chuckle.


	13. The Day After

_Writer's Note: This was a prompt from Urania Calliope.  
_

**Warning: Occurs post-series and contains spoilers.**_  
_

* * *

Once it was clear that the Beast Planet wasn't going to show up again in some kind of ambush, there was a sense of confusion, almost bewilderment, really. That first day was a landmark, one that everyone would remember for the rest of their lives.

Jade awoke like she always did - with her eyes snapping open and her body already tense in preparation for the day. It was only when her body finally caught up with her mind that she relaxed, moving slower than her usual lightning-quick pace, taking time to get dressed and eat the morning meal. She found a kind of therapeutic comfort in these menial tasks, and it took her a moment to realise why; because she knew, without a doubt, that it wouldn't be the last time she did them.

Cryos also woke like he usually did - slowly, with a hand outstretched to his left side as if reaching for something - or someone - only to find the space empty. His eyes opened slowly, as if not wanting to take in the reality of the empty space and they focused, only to give him a sense of deep peace instead of melancholy. That side of the bed was empty, but the peace that was new still remained.

Pyrus leapt from his bed like he had been shoved, a silly grin on his face and a wild eagerness in his chest. There was so much to do, so many things he had to work on, so many people he had to help...and finally, _finally_, there was time in which to do it.

Femur slept in. Late. He didn't wake up until Pelvus barged in and shouted something about feeding Planty. It was only that that got him out of bed. To him, if the planets were at peace, why should he get up early anymore?

Zera didn't sleep at all. She spent the entire night practicing her warrior forms or sitting in front of the security screens, eyeing the new and empty space, and occasionally finding herself in the Palace kitchens for a snack. She would never admit it, but she was making sure that the Beast didn't come back while she slept. It was only when the daily alarm went of signifying the new standard day that Zera got to her feet and returned back to her personal chambers, sleeping deeply and well into the afternoon with a small smile on her face.

Zuma and her Kindred also spent the night in a sort of reconnaissance, keeping their minds open for any changes and fluctuations in the cosmic pattern that they now found themselves in. It was only when Ramset meekly requested Zuma's presence that they stopped, and even then Zuma found herself without much trepidation. Now that peace was spread over their worlds like a fluffy blanket, anything done to further it was akin to her duty.

Tekla emerged from her slumber mildly confused - she felt strange, like she had never felt before, perhaps in many, many decades. It was alarming at first, especially since she wasn't used to feeling confused when it came to herself - she was firm in the belief that she knew herself - but it was only when she realised what that feeling was that she laughed and laughed. It was _relief_ .

Graveheart spent his morning in a kind of distant and moving meditation, his thoughts straying all over the place and never more than once. He thought of the people who were dead, given back tot he fires and never to be seen again, all for the sake of the peace they now had. He thought of Jade, who now has so much on her plate but who loves every single moment of it. He thought of Mica, who was long dead, now, forever a child casualty to what was then an endless war. And then he thought of himself, what he was going to do _now_, and he realised that there was so much to do. And yet, without the spice of panic and fear, the weight felt...normal, almost. Welcome. Wanted.

It would take time, but once it was clear that every morning ended up peaceful, instead of being met with wariness, these mornings would be met with joy.


	14. Shared Love

_Writer's Note: A prompt from Morgeil.  
_

**Warning: Occurs post-series and contains spoilers.**_  
_

* * *

"No, Lady Zera. It's more like...this node into this slot, this piece into this slot."

Zera's eyes widened, utterly focused on the task at hand. Tekla couldn't help but muse slightly as the younger girl watched her upgrade Voxx's settings. The face that was usually drawn in a scowl or a pout was open with curiosity. She genuinely seemed eager to learn, and as Tekla narrated what she was doing, she seemed to easily grasp it, her mind quick and her eyes quicker. She had only had to repeat herself twice.

"I think I'm starting to understand," Zera said slowly, not moving her eyes away from the cables and tools attached to the computer's little body. "With each upgrade, you need a separate connection, otherwise using more than one will override any individual upgrade you want to make. Doing that would risk overheating Voxx."

Tekla leaned back a little, her eyebrows shooting up. That was exactly what she was doing – only she hadn't said as much. "Yes," she replied. "Precisely."

Zera smiled widely, placing her hands together in front of her in a single clap. "Can I do the next one? I promise I won't hurt anything."

Tekla smiled in reply, holding out the tools to her. Zera took them with an excited murmur, one that Tekla found amusing and delightful.


	15. Male Bonding

_Writer's Note: A prompt from Morgeil.  
_

**Warning: Occurs post-series and contains spoilers.**_  
_

* * *

So, he really knew he should be training Pyrus the new resource request software that Tekla and Cryos had written together. He really knew that Pyrus was the ruler of a planet, and really didn't have time to kill. He also wasn't one with spare time he could waste away at the blink of an eye.

But…

"Ha _ha_!" Pyrus crowed suddenly, throwing his hands up in the air in victory. Graveheart winced, swallowing a frustrated groan. _That makes nine_, he thought gloomily.

"Are you _sure_ that you and Jade used to play this game all the time as kids?" Pyrus wondered, his eyes wide and his smile wider. "Because you play like you've never even _seen_ it before."

Graveheart scowled. He prided himself on his even temper and ability to withstand a _whole load of crap_ before losing his grip on it, but being taunted by a kid who was the equivalent of half is age _for the ninth time in a row_ was bound to make _anyone_ a little pissy.

He _really_ should be teaching Pyrus the new software…

"One more round," he said instead, smiling a thin smile of his own. Pyrus whooped and turned back to the screen, poised and ready for the game to restart.


	16. Sunstorm

_Writer's Note: A prompt from L Bea, wondering what happened after "Sandstorm".  
_

* * *

Ramset, Graveheart learned quite quickly, was a stubborn old bastard.

Despite the fact that Zuma and the Sand People had ended their charade as deaf and dumb animals, Ramset still insisted that, in fact, the Sand People were still below the Sun People.

"With all due respect, Ramset," Graveheart said slowly, trying not to let it show that his temper was fraying. "To not include the Sand People in the resource talks is just--,"

"Now, listen," Ramset interrupted, his small arms waving from under his metallic suit in indignation. "You have to understand something here, Mister Graveheart-person; all we have ever known is the _fact_ that the Sand People are _animals_."

"But they're _not_," Graveheart answered, his voice terse. "They're _people_, older than the Sun People and maybe older than my own. You can't continue to use them and deny them of their rights."

_"Graveheart,"_ a calm voice broke in, one that spoke in his mind, and he turned, watching s Zuma took slow and careful steps up onto the dais where Ramset and himself sat. _"You're wasting your breath, child."_

Ramset's grey face crumpled into something angry-looking as she approached, but Graveheart decided to ignore it. "What do you mean?"

Zuma's large and fathomless eyes were kind, although her words were somewhat sharp. _"The Sun People are set in their ways, and nothing we can do can change that. Not even a display of the Beast's awesome power was enough to humble their arrogance."_

"Now, listen here, you…" Ramset's words started out angry, but spluttered out when Zuma turned her gaze to him in silence. Even _he_ couldn't ignore the power in that gaze.

"So what do you propose?" Graveheart wondered, unable to keep the slight smile off his face at seeing Ramset's sudden silencing.

_"Actions speak louder than words, do they not?_" Zuma replied. _"Allow us to attend your meetings, regardless of what he says, and gradually, we're sure even someone like_ him_ will get used to the idea._"

Ramset leaned back into his suit, his arms crossed and his face dark with anger. Despite this, however, Zuma and Graveheart exchanged a private look – because they both knew that they were right.


	17. Loser's Bet

_Writer's Note: A prompt from Morgeil again, a little follow-up to "Bet Me".  
_

* * *

"Well," Graveheart said slowly, trying to break the thick silence that had fallen between them once they had both sat down in the Arrowhead. "That was...interesting."

Jade said nothing, her thoughts apparently focused on flying the ship. Graveheart found himself fidgeting with his fingers, looking down at them. "Uh," he tried again. "Don't you think that was weird?"

She said nothing, her eyes narrowed and fixed on the screen before her.

"Jade?"

She sighed finally, not looking at him as she spoke. "Honestly?"

Graveheart nodded slowly. "Yes, please."

She barked out a laugh, which startled him. "I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner, my friend."

"What," he answered, his voice flat.

She smiled at him, her eyes shining with mirth. "I said, I'm surprised that it didn't happen sooner. Femur has been nattering in their ears for weeks. The fact that they held it in for that long gives me hope for their diplomatic careers."

Graveheart stared at her, and she laughed again, harder this time. He was too surprised to join in.


	18. Born to Fight

_Writer's Note: A prompt from Secondlin!  
_

**Warning: Occurs pre-series and contains spoilers.**_  
_

* * *

The Quarriors quickly learned that it was in their best interest to have Jade as their troop leader. It wasn't just because she was fit and a good shot, and it wasn't just because she was best friends with another one of the better fighters, but it was because she was _good_. Very good, eerily good...almost _too_ good.

When she led the team into a hotspot of enemy activity, no matter what planet it was, Jade went in with a feral grin and a shout of victory. She held her gun cocked and her reflexes on hairtrigger and she never, _ever_ failed to hit her targets.

Many of the other warriors envied her. Most of the women wanted to be her. Most of the men saw a hero in her, despite her sex and her relatively young age. She advanced the ranks faster than anyone else, and yet she never forgot that she was once at the bottom. She continued to lead the way, even when she didn't have to anymore.

It was this carefree – or careless – nature that usually won the day. But sometimes, the rare times, it would get her into trouble. She eventually learned to pace herself, hedge her bets, and ensure she wasn't leading her men on a suicide mission before rushing in, but she would always have that instinct – that _need_ - to close the distance between herself and her foe and shoot them up. Because nothing, _nothing_, was sweeter than that.


	19. Origins

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

It took almost a century to build it, the planet that was its mother relatively smaller and afraid for its own life. What better way to protect themselves than to build a machine that would devour any threat that may or may not come their way?

And what better way to eliminate the threats than by using null matter, the very antithesis for life as they knew it?

What they didn't anticipate was that sometimes, a creation can have a mind of its own. When given the idea of devouring anything in its path that seems a threat, it needs certain parameters in order to figure out on its own what makes a threat.

And if none are giving, it usually means that it has to develop its own.

Expectantly, their desires were met. The new tool, dubbed the Beast Planet for its hunger, was effective and did the job.

What was unexpected was that it would view its mother planet as its first meal, its first threat. What was unexpected was that with the nourishment, it learned from its mother and created its own children. And what was unexpected was that it would view anyone - and everyone - as a threat to be made into its next meal.


	20. Limits

_Writer's Note: This fic takes place shortly before the Prison Planet Story arc, and as such, it containsspoilers.  
_

* * *

There was something primal about her, something that always kept him on edge. It was thrilling and exciting, something that he knew was either innate or something that took years for her to prefect, but it was there.

The way her strange eyes flared with lust or anger, the way her fingers dug into his skin like a metallic vise, the way she screamed out her rage and took her violence out on walls and random objects that were guiltless...all of these were things he could overlook. After all, it wasn't easy living with criminals, especially if you weren't one. It wasn't easy having to watch your back at all times. It wasn't easy waking up every morning and wondering if you were going to be killed for a foolish reason.

So of course she had to have an outlet. Of course she was bound to come loose somehow. He was the same way with sparring. When it came to sparring with the men and women, he showed no mercy - he never let anyone win, nor did he ever hold back. That was his way. It was always his way.

He didn't love her - that much was obvious. But there was a kind of affection there, one borne of a kind of kinship forged by circumstance. It wasn't love, but it was still powerful.

But even he had his limits. And when he caught her holding a gun up to one of their men, her eyes raging and her mouth spouting out filthy curses, something inside of him broke. She was going to kill this man, she said, because he wouldn't go into a dangerous section of the planetoid and fetch her something. So it was, apparently, enough to die for.

But it wasn't. He knew that. But she didn't. To her, lives were nothing more than wisps of smoke to be waved away from her face if they got into her eyes. And he was, above all things, an emperor first, and his loyalty was to his people.

And it was that day that he took his most loyal and left their once-shared bunker for good.

Her wrath was easier to face than her convoluted affection.


	21. Understanding

_Writer's Note: This fic takes place during Ascension and contains mild spoilers.  
_

* * *

Out of everyone outside of Graveheart, Pyrus was the first to accept and understand what Jade had done. He was the quickest to understand the dilemma that Jade faced, as well as the constant guilt and split loyalties she had to face every day.

Out of everyone, Jade was the one who was at Pyrus' side when he sought to bring the Battle Moon back from Blaze. She was witness to Blaze's own split loyalties and his need to feel that he was doing his part. But she was also there when he stated that his loyalty was to his king. And those words had festered deep within her bones.

So it wasn't difficult for Pyrus to grasp that sometimes, you had to do really nasty things in order to prove yourself. Sometimes you had to betray the ones you love in order to feel that you're doing your part. And sometimes, most of all, you had to break the rules in order to make everything work out.


	22. Flickers and Fading

_Writer's Note: This fic takes place post-series and contains spoilers. It also implies a very major character death, so uh, yeah. I don't know WHY I wrote this, since I ADORE the character in question, but still. What. Don't flame me x.x.  
_

* * *

Not everyone can live forever. Those within the Alliance knew that most of all. It was probably one of the first lessons a soldier from any army learned.

People get sick. They fall apart. They grow old, or frail, or suffer an accident. They become heroes, or villains, or statistics. These are also realities that most people of the Alliance were born knowing.

But sometimes it's hard to remember that when it comes to people you've grown close to, especially if you, yourself do not bear the mark of passing time.

There were hints over the past few months. Cryos was usually the sort that didn't like to leave people unawares, didn't like to throw surprises at people he loved. The first was with his sudden succession of the throne to Zera.

"Wait a second," Zera said when she was told, holding up her hands and giving her father a very confused look. "I'm not married. Nor am I even into my third decade. You can't quit now!"

Cryos snuck a glance over to Tekla, who was struggling to keep a straight face. The reaction was so typical of Zera, really. "I think you're old enough to take responsibility as you are right now," he replied, and Tekla had to admire how he kept his voice even.

Zera's eyes went hard, so hard that Tekla was surprised - she doubted that she had ever seen that kind of anger directed towards Cryos before. "What's going on?" she demanded, her voice clipped and tight. "Why are you doing this, so suddenly, without any warning?"

"I beg your pardon?" Cryos shot back lightly. "I've been 'warning' you all of your life for this moment."

"Okay, but why _now_?" Zera's eyes narrowed, and Tekla wondered all of a sudden why; did Zera know something? Was she seeing something that Tekla, herself, was missing?

"Because you're ready," Cryos answered, his voice now soft with pride. He reached forward and pressed a hand to Zera's forehead, and she relaxed a little, her glare easing.

That was probably the most damning of hints, but it wasn't the last.

"Tekla," Cryos called to her one day, walking up quickly to join her. She had been on her way to the main procession room (Jade had called her and snapped something about Zera, clothing, and shrill voices, and that "if you don't get here in an hour, I will have committed regicide") when Cryos had turned the corner and called her name. She stopped and waited for him to catch up to her.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "Shouldn't you be readying your speech?"

"Yes," Cryos said, his voice somewhat agitated and terse. "Of course. I just need you to confirm that you know the security passwords to the main archives of the Palace."

Tekla blinked, surprised by this seemingly random subject change. "Yes; we reviewed then last month, and Voxx has encrypted back-ups in case something should happen that I cannot access my own files."

Cryos's stance instantly relaxed. He placed a hand on her shoulder and grave it a squeeze. "Excellent," he said, sounding like he really meant it. "Thank you."

On that, he turned and walked back the way he came.

Tekla stared after him. Somehow, deep in her chest, the stirrings of understanding had begun to swirl, but she buried them deeper into her core. It was something she didn't want to think about.

The coronation ceremony was almost flawless, until the end when Zera and Pyrus got into a huge fight over something undisclosed and ended up actually physically tussling over it in front of everyone. Luckily, by this time it was the private dinner for family and friends, so they were spared the scandal that such an event could have caused.

Tekla marveled at the fact that the two still fought like children and still tried to solve their problems - whatever they may be - with punching, slapping, and the occasional drawing of a gun or staff. There was a sadness there, one that Tekla couldn't quite get her head around, but she could see it nonetheless, despite the screaming and swearing and brawling.

Once they were separated and Pyrus was led out of the Palace by Graveheart, shouting out something about promises, Zera stormed away to her new chambers and didn't come out for the rest of the day. Cryos stayed behind in the largely emptied room, rubbing his temples and sighing deeply.

Tekla walked to his side and touched his shoulder, and he looked up. She offered a small smile. "She will come around," Tekla said. "she has plenty of time to figure this out, and you will be here to advise her through it all. She and Pyrus will make amends."

Cryos's face darkened. "Time," he said, looking away and returning his fingers to his temples. "There's never enough. You of all people know that."

Tekla blinked. "Yes," she agreed slowly. "I suppose I do. But I also know that time can be good to you, and give you more years with new people you come to love than those you loved once and had to leave."

Cryos's smile was small, but it was there. "Yes," was all he said.

For a while, things were quiet. Zera struggled to get used to her knew role, trying to adopt her father's calm demeanour and fighting to control her temper, one she was never encouraged to smother. When she revealed her distress to Cryos and Tekla, Cryos's reply surprised them both.

"Zera, my dear," he said calmly, reaching down and cupping her face into his hands. Even after all of this time, she was still shorter than him. "Don't fight your nature. If you're angry, be angry. If you're sad, be sad. Just don't let it control you. But do not smother these things. They are who you are."

Zera lowered her eyes. "But, Daddy..." she murmured, sounding like a small girl again. "They don't _want_ me to be me. They want me to be _you_."

"You are not me," Cryos said sternly. "And you never will be. I expect you to be _better_."

Zera snorted. Cryos tapped her cheeks lightly, and she looked up again. He smiled. "You are the first ruler in peace, untainted by past war, for hundreds of years. Things are different now. You can do this. And you don't need me."

Her face fell. "Yes, I do."

Cryos shook his head. "No, you don't. Trust me; You do not."

Tekla felt a little uncomfortable being privy to such an exchange, but at the same time, she was haunted by it. Cryos's eyes were sad, sadder than she had ever seen them, even when the anniversary of his wife's death passed by every year.

It was then that she knew it for sure. But she needed to hear it from him.

Cryos stared at her, then sighed, sitting down and holding his head in his hands. Tekla had managed to cut him off and lead him into one of the security rooms, where she asked him the simple question of what was wrong with him. At this reaction, Tekla felt her entire core stutter, as if she was having a random power fluctuation or system reboot, and she, too, sat down.

"I should have known that someone would guess," Cryos said, his eyes shut.

"So, then, you _are_ sick," Tekla blurted out.

He nodded slowly. "It's my head," he answered slowly. "An affliction common with my people in older age. An uncle of mine succumbed to it - and I'm happy to say he was younger than me, so I'm lucky in that respect - but yes, I have it, too."

Tekla stared at her hands, the way they were clasped in her lap and held together tightly. She couldn't think of anything to say. Her entire core was sore, and slowly, her eyes filled.

A long silence passed between them, broken with Tekla saying slowly, "Zera. Does she even know?"

Cryos uttered a short laugh. "Yes, she knows," he said dryly. "Although I didn't tell her. She's too sharp, that girl. She says nothing, admits nothing, but I know she knows. We've always been close. Some things...we don't _need_ to share. We just _know_."

Tekla's thoughts fell to the coronation, to the fight between Zera and Pyrus, and how moved Cryos had been by it. _Some things we don't need to share, indeed,_ she thought sadly.

"She's angry," Tekla said softly.

"I know," he agreed. "But she will be stronger for it."

"How long?" she blurted, her voice cracking. "Do you...have."

Cryos looked up, his eyes dark. "To be honest, I should have gone long before the coronation," he admitted flatly. "So it's any day now."

Tekla seemed to just..._crumple_. Everything inside of her just _broke_. Cryos was her best friend, her confident, her kindred spirit and her fellow tactician. They had shared so much together, grown so close, and without Cryos, Tekla was sure she would have perished to loneliness long ago. She reached out, her hands empty, wishing she could grab this moment of time and stretch it out.

Cryos grabbed them, filling them, holding them close, and for a moment, she felt like she had. She dissolved before him, a mess of sorrow, and Cryos said nothing - he merely held her hands close to his chest, so that she could feel his heartbeat flicker - still beating - for now.


	23. Girl Talk

_Writer's Note: Occurs post-series and contains spoilers. Lol, Pelvus.  
_

* * *

Pelvus wasn't so bad. Zera learned this early, and - past insubordination and Mantel-loving aside - he was still a means of sympathy when she needed it.

Take, for example, the time that Zera found herself on Planet Bone, initially showing up on a diplomatic errand for Cryos. She had landed the Borealis, gotten out just fine...and found herself staring at Pyrus's own ship.

And suddenly months of irritation built up within her breast and she just _snapped_. She stormed over, glared at the ship, and then just _kicked_ it, as hard as she could. It hurt a lot, and she cursed several words that would have made her father scold her, but she succeeded in denting it a little, so she was automatically satisfied.

"Um," a voice, sounding politely confused called out. "Did the ship do something to you, Lady Zera?"

Zera sighed, turning around and smiling ruefully. "The owner did."

Which was somehow enough to be invited into Pelvus's own quarters for a much-needed rant.

And rant she did. She didn't touch her ever-crawling cannolli, instead describing in clipped tones how Pyrus had been acting stuck up and rude to her ever since she told him off for putting off his coronation since it was only a stupid formality _anyways_. Pelvus listened quite intently, to her surprise, and when she finally managed to get every word out of her system - including curses and name-calling and bitching in general - she realised that she instantly felt loads better.

Pelvus was quiet for a long time after she finished. She didn't take it to mean anything, since she already assumed that he was merely there to listen.

But then he ruined it. "Lady Zera, I think you're taking this too personally, perhaps?"

Zera's head shot up in surprise, her eyes jerking away from the cannolli she had been staring at. "What?"

"This thing with Prince Pyrus - what does it matter if he waits longer to be called King?"

Zera spluttered, her anger sparking back to life. "It matters _completely!"_ she snarled. "Everything is still fragile. If Pyrus would just wake up and do it and see that his people need him to do it, everything would be easier! He's wasting his life and being an idiot out of sentiment and really, he can do better!"

"Hmm..." Pelvus answered, not at all fazed by her burst of anger. "So you want him to be..._more_ than he is?"

Worded like that, it sounded like she was being judgmental. "No!" she protested. "He's fine the way he is, but I just think he could be so much more if he just did the ceremony and got it over with. His people would be _so happy_, don't you think?"

Pelvus paused again. "Lady Zera, you seem concerned about how the people of Fire see Prince Pyrus."

Zera tilted her head to one side, instantly confused by this. "Well, of course," she said, "because he's my friend. I want him to succeed."

"Or," Pelvus held up a hand. "You want him to be happy, perhaps?"

"Of course," she shrugged. "He's my friend."

"You and Prince Pyrus are very close, yes?"

Zera frowned. She didn't like the way he looked when he said that. "Yes," she said slowly. "We are _friends_."

And here Pelvus smiled, eyes narrowed. "Oh?"

Zera felt the blood rush to her face and she looked away. "Yes. And how I feel is because I am his friend and want him to be happy and to succeed, so stop looking at me like you know more than me, okay?"

Pelvus didn't stop, so Zera threw a cannolli at him. She didn't miss.


	24. His Greatest Enemy

It would never fail to bring him down, every single year. If he tried to prepare for it, no amount of preparation would be enough. If he pretended to ignore it and keep moving as if it wasn't there, it would smash into him unsuspecting as a penalty for such arrogance.

Even when Zera grew old enough to understand what was wrong and tried to help him through it, regaling him with her own memories, he still fell into that neverending pit of grief and loss and agony.

Even when a year became ten, twenty, even thirty years, each year still held that same potency as the moment it had happened.

On this day, every year, everything shut down. The Palace, communications..._everything_. Even during the planetary wars it had always been so, allowing his second-in-command to take over for the day or, as she became older, Zera (if she was able, that is).

He hated himself for it, hated that by merely waking up he was already lost, curled up on his pallet and keeping his back to the world, eyes shut and heart breaking, one hand reaching - always, forever reaching - to his empty left side where she once lay.

No amount of time eased this agony. It was his greatest shame, but it was also his greatest refuge.


	25. The Years After

**Warning: Occurs post-series and contains spoilers.**

* * *

It was still taking a while to settle in, really.

Jade kept waking up wanting to draft up battle plans, in order to figure out the best methods to take resources by surprise and with as little casualities as possible. She fell asleep with several of these plans already mapped out in her head, and when she leapt to her feet to write them out and perhaps show them to Feldspar or Graveheart, she had to catch her breath and shake herself out of it - for Graveheart was no longer a soldier and Feldspar was dead. And she? She was queen, in a time of peace. She no longer had to think of ways to stab other peoples in the back.

Cryos relished in every single day that he woke up without a shout or a panicked report. He relished in the way his people seemed to just _grow_, the population no longer culled by the death of sons and fathers and uncles. When he finished a day dealing only with common and boring civil duties, his heart soared.

Pyrus, now that he was getting used to things, was starting to make some serious changes that challenged a lot of different people. He started proposing ideas and edicts that challenged centuries' worth or close-mindedness, something that no one on Fire had had the time to address before. Small moves, subtle nudges, and yet everything seemed to change. A sort of relief flooded through the Battle Moons of Fire, even to those who had immigrated to Planet Sand. Pyrus was open in his belief that everyone - _everyone _- was equal regardless of "class" or sex, and he made it clear that this was something he had planned to do all along. But in the back of his mind, all he could think of was a certain young woman who fought tusk and gun to get equal rights - and eventually he had to admit, that maybe he did it for her, too.

Femur's rule was never challenged. It was odd, since a regime change usually happened on Bone every five years at the least. The last was with Sternum's poisoning (not for lack of trying on Pelvus's part), but ever since Sternum returned and seemed to stand behind Femur as a sort of chancellor, the flurry for the throne died down and eventually came into nothing. Femur thought it was a riot, and often joked with Sternum that it was meant to be and that the best thing he did for the planet was throw Sternum into a cell. Things like these, however, were usually met with backhands or slaps - and Femur would have deserved it, too.

Zera knew the irony of things, that the moment she became a warrior, the war was over. But that didn't stop her from continuing her studies under Jade or practise her marksmanship with Cryos. That didn't stop her from eventually enlisting as a Glacial Troop officially. And when she rose in ranks and aided in the maintenance of not only her own planet's peace, but planets outside of it, she didn't realise it then, but she was already a legend.

Tekla made her home on Planet Ice, watching the gaping wound of centuries of war slowly close over and heal before her eyes. She was privy to it all, watching cities rebuild and treaties be signed. She was a key player in all of these proceedings, an honourable member of each planet, despite her choosing to live on Ice. She also knew, somehow, that she was a subtle reminder of what had been, that long period of doubt and fear, and that now, merely standing, she was a reminder that peace was possible. It was something she didn't mind being.

Graveheart found he had more patience than he thought as he spent his time between worlds, mending rifts torn by pettiness and past grievances. Listening to be both sides of such conflicts made him want to grind his teeth or punch a few heads together like he used to in the army when things didn't go his way. Luckily, this mysterious patience seemed to bubble up from deep within, as if telling him that these moments wouldn't even be possible if there wasn't peace. And when he thought of that, of what had been, suddenly these annoyances became funny, and he almost looked forward to them with a kind of affection. Better it be with words than with guns.


	26. Bittersweet Peace

_Writer's Note: Occurs post-series and contains spoilers.  
_

* * *

For as long as she could remember, Tekla always dreamed of her father.

It wasn't unusual for her people to have dreams. They were built something like simulations of an ancient race that had once lived on Tek, and as such much of what was ingrained into the mind was inherited from those people. The only difference was that the dreams could never be forgotten, always recorded and stored away into the memory of their minds.

As such, Tekla always knew when she dreamed of her father. Even when she was still on Tek, when he was still alive, when her people were free of the Beast and living idle and peaceful lives, she dreamt of him. He was her rock, her hero, the centre of her universe and the kind of person she wanted to be. He wasn't perfect, but he wasn't a disappointment, and her dreams always held some sign of him, even if they were merely minute.

So when Tekla woke up one morning and realised that her father had not graced her dreams at all, she was startled. That had never happened before - in fact, since leaving her starsystem, her father's presence had increased. So why was he gone from her mind all of a sudden?

Then she understood - the Beast was gone, and there was a sort of inertia hovering over the Alliance. Everything was calm. There was no need for the comfort of her father in her dreams - the peace was already there.

It was a bittersweet realisation. But it was one she took as a good sign, all the same.


	27. Advice

**Warning: Takes place post-series and contains spoilers.  
**

* * *

"Kid! How've you been?"

Pyrus made a face, even as Femur grabbed him into a tight hug while being oh-so-careful to avoid his flame. "Don't you think I'm a little old for that name, now?" he wondered, pulling away and showing said face to Femur.

Femur snorted. "You're still younger than me. You're always be a kid."

Pyrus rolled his eyes, and Femur laughed, waving him over. They walked side-by-side towards Bone's Palace, the large and empty bone structures looming high into the murky sky. Pyrus found himself looking at it with some affection. It had been well over a decade and a half - standard time - since the Beast Planet was last scene, and he still was able to remember the time that he looked upon those bones with fear and dread. Now, they were familiar and only made him think of happy and carefree times. It was nice.

"But I _am_ a king," Pyrus said now. "I can't have my people hearing you call me "kid". They'll lose respect for me!"

Femur shot him an amused glance. "Those people practically lick your toes no matter what anyone calls ya, _kid_."

Pyrus scowled, and Femur laughed, a loud and bursting belly-laugh. He was still lecherous, still crude and loud, but he had, somehow, mellowed - just a bit. _But then,_ Pyrus thought with a blink, _so have I, I suppose._

As they walked into the Palace, Femur filled the air with his cheerful voice. "How've ya been?" he asked again. "Things have been sort of quiet on your side of things lately. What's up with that? You're confusing us old people."

Pyrus sighed, resisting the urge to fidget with his necklace or fingers. "You're on sensitive ground," he answered lightly.

"'Course I am," Femur answered, not at all deterred. "Why do you think I asked?"

Pryus's scowl deepened. If it had been anyone else - even Graveheart - he would have blown them off with terse words. But this was Femur, and Pyrus had always come to Femur for advice for years and years - ever since he had known him, first out of admiration, then out of genuine friendship. He never could turn away a chance to open up.

"It's...complicated," he said finally, dancing a bit to avoid stepping on an errant cannolli that crawled beneath his feet.

Femur leaned down and grabbed one up. "So's everything," he answered blandly, before taking a huge bite. "Spill."

Pyrus found it a bad choice of words, considering what Femur was eating and how the guts dribbled down to his chin. "What if I don't want to?"

Femur stared at him in mid-bite. "Like that matters," he answered.

"You'll laugh at me."

"How is that new?"

"Femur..."

The emperor sighed, stopping in mid-stride and grabbing onto Pyrus's arm. With a toss over his shoulder, he got rid of his snack and stared Pyrus right in the eyes. "If it's what I think it is, I thought you were smarter than that. Age is supposed to make you wiser, kid. That should have been your first lesson as king."

Pyrus lowered his gaze, hating it when the truth was right there in front of him. He would rather keep running from it than have to face it. "It's just...have you ever thought that maybe it's a mistake, and that it was supposed to be, and that denying it is only going to make it worse?"

"Take it from an old man," Femur answered, his voice kind but his eyes hard. "If there's some kind of destiny or fate or whatever, it doesn't tend to be a friend. It's up to you to punch it into submission to get what you want."

"But what I want-"

"I know what you want," Femur answered, giving his arm a pat with affection. "But it ain't gonna happen, kiddo."

It hurt. Femur wasn't the type to lie about things so serious, especially when it came to Pyrus. That made it all the more painful. "I think I love her," he mumbled, his eyes still downcast.

Femur slapped his arm, hard, forcing him to yelp and look up. "Don't be stupid," he answered with a silly grin. However, Pyrus could see something else deep in his eyes - something like pity, but deeper.

"But...wait..." And now he was annoyed. "You _just said-_"

"I say a lot of things," Femur answered with a wave of his hand, starting down the hallway again without waiting. "You should know by now how full of it I am."

Pyrus wondered. He wondered if Femur meant what he said about fate, but only said what he said in order to spare his feelings.

He wondered what he was going to do. He wondered if there was anything he could do.

For now, though, he merely chased after Femur, calling out, "Cannolli, right?"

The answering guffaws made him smile.


	28. Unwanted

**Warning: Takes place post-series and contains major spoilers.**

* * *

It's cold in the cell beneath the Ice Palace. It's one of the first things Jewelia is forced to accept, followed by dozens more rules and realities and failures.

It's empty. She is the only one in the entire cellblock, a lone prisoner in a place meant for hundreds. No one can hear her commands. No one is here to die for her, or even worship her. It's boring.

It's depressing. She's alone, and thus alone with her thoughts. She has to _think_, remember, reminisce about what she has done and what she _should have, could have, would have_ done instead.

She doesn't go insane. Not any further than she already was.

In her darkest moments, she wishes she could. It would make it all easier.


	29. Keeping the Love Alive

_Writer's Note: Thanks to Morgeil for the beta-help! It was sorely needed and greatly appreciated!  
_**

* * *

Warning: Takes place pre- and post-series and contains major spoilers.**

* * *

They were both young and stupid. They were inexperienced and cocky. They also both loved adventure.

So when Jade proposed that they steal an Arrowhead and fly it around in secret for a while, to get a leg-up on their future careers as soldiers, Graveheart was only wary for about a minute before he agreed to it.

It was thrilling. It was confusing. Jade seemed to know more than him and yet she knew very little at all.

They crashed the ship into another one, right in front of the commanding officer as he was coming in to the docks. They were both bruised and somewhat bloody, but when they were pulled from the wreckage, Jade was laughing and Graveheart was grinning. It was the greatest thrill of their lives.

* * *

Two years into the army, Jade went down. Shot up pretty bad in the middle of skirmish, Graveheart was the only one who had seen it happen. He kept at her side, his hands held to her bleeding wounds, his eyes fixed on her fading eyes, and all he could think of was how stupid they both were and how this was nothing like the romantic dream they had expected.

And, he had been so sure that he would have been the one to fall first. Not Jade, who always held him above it all.

* * *

There were moments of glory. Successfully surpassing the supply quota. Sneaking in and killing enemy soldiers who would have killed them at any given moment. Insects, Toads, Flamehead...they were all on the scorecard of their military careers.

The thrill of the hunt, the kill, and the kisses stolen in between, the eager and hot kisses that promised more behind locked doors, that displayed lust for life as well as each other...it was heaven.

* * *

The second time Jade went down was the last. It wasn't just Jade. It was Mica. Graveheart would have joined him if it hadn't been for that one hand that grabbed him back, that yanked him from the edge and kept him free of burning lava and fiery death.

She didn't move to stop him when he fired at the Fire ships. She couldn't, anyway. By then, nothing would have stopped him.

* * *

He left without saying goodbye. She hated him for it. She hated his weakness, his lack of courage, his inability to face reality and his insistence on dwelling on something that couldn't have been avoided.

She hated him for leaving her, for always having to be the strong one of the two. She hated him because he was able to show his weakness and not be any less of a warrior.

She hated him, because apparently she wasn't enough to hold him up anymore.

* * *

It started slow. Graveheart knew Jade was angry, and probably always would be. After what they had shared in the past, he truly felt he deserved it.

She was cold to him. But she was also like she used to be. It was comforting, in such a tense situation. Even better when she learned to joke with him, fight with him, and yes, even _trust_ him again.

He understood her anger. Respected it. Shared it, even.

But he needed her love more.

* * *

Now he was the one who had his trust tested. Graveheart knew Jade better than anyone else, and knew when something was off. She was hiding something, cloaked in mystery and unwilling to share it.

Anyone else would have left her to her own demons. Graveheart sometimes wondered if it would make a difference if he stayed or left.

But he had to trust her. It was all he knew.

So he did.

* * *

He was the only one who brought that laugh from her, that specific laugh that came right from the gut and out the mouth. The one that made her eyes spark and close into crescents, her head thrown back in delight, her fingers on his arm clenched tight in her mirth.

These pockets, these moments, together in a nest built out of need and want, Graveheart spends his time making her laugh, just to see her do it, just to feel it against him, her whole body shaking, her face lighting up like it used to.

* * *

Graveheart knew the moment she allowed her tears to shine that Jade trusted him again. Jade was not prone to tears. She was not the type to cry from any known reason - unless something was so horrible that she grieved, deep down inside, so much that it spilled over and streaked down her cheeks.

So when she confessed to giving the access codes to Mantel, stood there with her face crumpled but her gaze fixed anywhere but on him, he knew she was sorry, and he knew that she trusted him with everything she was.

And he knew that trusting her had been the right thing to do.

* * *

Jade was Queen. Graveheart was a man of Rock once more. The Beast Planet was long gone.

There was a fear, something he refused to admit, deep within his breast, that now that the war was over - indeed, any war - Jade would not want him anymore. He hated thinking that way because it was so childish, something only a man half his age would think, and yet here he was.

But once the ceremonies were over and the Palace was empty, he looked up to find Jade seated on her throne, her eyes on him and him alone. They were warm, and her smile was real. She stood up and strode down the steps like she had owned them all of her life, and once she reached him, she slipped close and hugged him tight, careful not to let her armour dig into him.

Something deep within him seemed to melt, and he hugged back, the simple gesture so much more.

* * *

They fought. There was no avoiding this.

Jade had very different ideas as to how to handle the random uprisings and rebellions that came from unrest and dissatisfaction. She had different ideas on how to conduct trading, treaties, council meetings and conflicts between the populace. She was very much still a Quarrior, the soldier that served the army for more than half of her life.

But Graveheart had been a soldier for less. He had been a diplomat for years. He knew people. Jade knew them, too, but it was harder for her to sympathise. She wasn't cold - she just wasn't very empathetic.

So they fought. But it never lasted. Not when she realised what he was saying. Not when he realised what _she_ was saying, too. Together, they made a great team.

Just like old times.


End file.
